Perfection
by MPHknows
Summary: The blight has ended and a wedding is coming up. The king and his betrothed are getting used to life at the palace as they try to help their friends decide what to do, work on their own fighting skills, and sate their curiosity. But will the latter cause problems? Of course not, this is their perfection, after all. ONESHOT introduction dabble to my OC for later stories


Perfection

_One-shot by MPHknows_

The palace was filled with the quiet buzz of preparations. The wedding would be in a week. Servants were polishing, cleaning, making everything slick and soft and sparkling. Friends and family walked the corridors, speaking of their adventures or their vacations since that day Ferelden was saved.

Alistair stood, glad to have a break from his heavy golden armor, and looked across the main hall. He chuckled, remembering what he witnessed here the night before. She had been trying so hard…

His grin brightened when said woman entered the room, the lay sister and elder mage shortly behind her. Jale Cousland looked amazing with her dirty blond hair freshly washed and pulled back up into a neat ponytail, the two strands always loose up front accenting her smooth skinned face and clever silver eyes. Her hourglass figure Alistair had come to know every inch of was covered by an emerald and mahogany satin dress. Her feet were slipped into a pair of dark heels, making her perfect hips sway even more elegantly.

But this was only part of the woman Alistair had come to know after he fell in love with her. He had fallen for Jale Cousland, the newest Grey Warden with a sharp silver tongue and an understanding mind. He had fallen for her when she was only in a trickster's tunic and clunky boots with her family sword in one hand and Highever shield in the other. He had seen her with her messy ponytail, strands falling everywhere. He had not known her elegant walk for talk among nobles or for pleasant formal occasions, he had known her long stride full of the pride of her family and of her knew place among the Wardens.

Jale smiled back at Alistair, her eyes softening from the laughter she had been sharing with the other two. "What are you girls up to?" Alistair asked, taking the few steps down from the front of the room.

She lifted one of her hands, fingers brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes, "We were just discussing dress plans. Something you will know nothing of until you see me in it."

Alistair stuck his lower lip out slightly, moving closer to this woman who made the others disappear. But Wynne interrupted the moment, chuckling slightly, "If you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to. Leliana, I'm sure you do too."

The bard got the hint to leave them to themselves, but shook her head anyway, "Nothing at all."

As Wynne laughed again and walked off, Jale shot a friendly glare over her shoulder before turning back to Alistair. She cocked her hip, hand resting on it, "What have _you_ been up to?"

"Revisiting the place of the show I witnessed last night," Alistair smirked, raising an eyebrow for her reaction.

Jale turned red in the cheeks, huffing and looking away from his playful golden eyes. Leliana giggled, "What show?"

"My dear here was just trying to sharpen up her dancing skills and decided to practice with Zevran it seemed. Only, a few minutes after I found them waltzing around, she must have found an especially slick part of the floor-"

Jale pouted, "I slipped and went straight down on the floor, knee first."

Leliana looked at the King, "Aw… did you not worry that she was hurt?"

"This is the grey warden who took down the archdemon," Alistair reached a hand out to rest on her fingers that were twitching on her waist, "A bumped up knee couldn't stop her."

Jale put her nose up in the air, "Flattery will get you nowhere."

Alistair chuckled, pulling her close to him, "Oh? Then what _will_ get me somewhere?"

Leliana let out another giggle, "I guess I'll leave you two to yourselves. I don't think I need to watch whatever comes next."

Jale laughed, twisting her fingers into his blond hair, "Good. Now that she's gone…"

Alistair didn't let her finish, capturing her lips with his. This, this was what made it all worth it. The whole 'Morrigan' thing had been… upsetting. But when Jale had sunk her blade into the archdemon and continued to stand, he knew it was worth it.

He knew she would have never let him make that blow if he wouldn't survive. That would mean leaving the throne to Anora, and he knew Jale could never do that. They couldn't stand each other. The whole time they had been near each other at Eamon's estate was full of fake pleasantries with hidden insults.

Jale bit at his bottom lip and he happily opened his mouth, but they were pulled away from each other by another entrance into the room. "Are you two ever _not_ attached in that embrace?" Sten questioned, an amused look on his face.

Oghren laughed, "If I could get near those long legs as easily as him, I would too."

Jale rolled her eyes, "Creepy, Oghren. Just creepy."

He shrugged, "The giant and I were just wondering if pretty boy would like to spar."

"I think that's a great idea," Jale answered for him, pushing Alistair towards them. He gave her a questioning look to which she sighed, "I have some more wedding preparations to take care of, and I don't need you sucking off my neck as I try to take care of them."

The king's ears blushed but he followed the Quanari and Dwarf anyway.

* * *

They were both back in their armor, though Alistair's much lighter than the hefty king's usual. They were just training, so they were only for precaution anyway. On the road, camping while they built their armies, Alistair had taught her all the templar tricks he could, so now she was doing the same.

"So," he thought, shifting his sword and shield in his hands as he faced the striking post with a human shaped sack on its face, "It's focusing your anger?"

Jale chuckled dryly and shook her head, "Focusing. Yes, that's _exactly_ what a berserker does."

"I'm guessing by that tone, I'm considerably wrong," Alistair huffed, wondering if this serious tone of hers she took when training was more of a turn on or a nuisance.

"Berserkers don't focus, they unravel. Well, that's the vague sense of it. Truly, there's more than that."

"Where did you learn this? Oghren?"

"No, this was my first branch of being a warrior. It's a dwarven born practice, so it's not a surprised Oghren was trained in it as well."

"So, unraveling?"

"Basically, we take every emotion, not just anger, and let it overwhelm us in battle. Yes, anger works best. If you don't know how to morph the simpler, nicer emotions into something violently passionate, then its best to stick to anger."

"So you just… let this anger go and then… what?" Alistair asked.

"You use it. You just let out all the pent up things that your conscious mind may have even forgotten about. You put it into every stroke, let it consume all of your energy, and it will overwhelm your opponents like a mabari takes down an infiltrator."

"How? How can you get that angry? Where you just forget everything but the blood of your enemies?"

"The two hardest parts of learning to be a berserker is as follows: letting your anger overwhelm you and then knowing when to turn it off. Oghren is only just mastering the latter."

Alistair propped his sword on his shoulder, "I understand getting mad, but you just make it sound like there has to be more than that."

"There is. You're taught through your childhood to control the negative emotions, sadness and anger. This technique is all about creating a latch on the hold back of anger, so that you can release it in the snap beginning of battle. There's a level of anger you have not experienced in years because you have been taught to not do so."

"So, does starting berserker training younger make it easier?"

Jale shrugged, "I guess we'll find out. In theory, it might. You don't have as long subconsciously letting that level of anger deteriorate."

"What about shutting it off?" Alistair spun his shield clumsily in his hand.

"We'll worry about that once we reach it. Now, this is the part I'm apprehensive about," she tapped a finger on her chin.

"Why?"

"If you want to follow through with this, I have to dig up where ever that level of anger is."

"Why don't you want to do that? You said you wanted to teach me to be a berserker. Isn't that what… _berserking_ is all about?"

"Yes, but…" She sighed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "I _hated_ my trainer, but that just means he was doing his job right. I'm afraid I might hit a nerve that doesn't just bring out anger but also drives a stake between us."

Alistair chuckled, leaning over to kiss her temple, "As long as it's not something you did that you bring up, I won't get upset with you."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Face the post again," she instructed, falling back into teacher mode.

"I still don't know what you could bring up to make me that mad," Alistair got in a basic fighting position.

She began to pace behind him, "Are you positive? Not even bringing up the thought of Duncan, witnessing your brother's death at the hand of an ogre then getting slaughtered himself, only seconds beforehand looking up at the signal and realizing Loghain's men weren't coming? Loghain who, so frantic to save Ferelden, began destroying it. Loghain who poisoned the only other father figure in your life. Loghain who sent an assassin after the both of us. Loghain who had the audacity to label the Grey Wardens, the only thing that was ever a true family to you, traitors.

"What about Isolde? So paranoid of you possibly being Eamon's son that she tore you from your home and sent you off to the chantry. No, you knew she didn't really think you were Eamon's son, she just feared the fact that others did. You knew that she just feared that they'd make you a threat to whatever children she'd have and their power. But you never wanted power, and she didn't care. She sent you off anyway."

She could see it in the grit of his teeth and the grip on his weaponry. "Don't hold it back," she growled, "she hated you, a young boy, for nothing, let it out. You can feel the energy building, let it-"

Splintering wood downed her out. In one clean swipe, Alistair had flung out his blade for a critical shot and hit dead on with enough force to splinter a good fraction of the post. His breathing was deep and quick and hot and his muscles were flexed as the anger tried to find someplace to go.

Jale reached out with a gesture of praise and put a hand on the base of his neck. He turned, emotions still on a high, and crashed his lips to hers while dragging her into a tight embrace.

It took a while, Alistair now focus all the energy she prodded to the surface for a different goal, for him to part from her, but Jale didn't mind. Once their mouths did separate, the king rested his forehead on his betrothed's. She tried to recover her breathing and grinned, "Well, I think that's enough training for today."

* * *

Jale spun back in, hooking a knee up on his hip and an arm around his neck as her other foot dragged on the ground where the last note of the song would be. Zevran let go of her and grinned as she stood and curtsied, finally getting through the whole dance without tripping over herself.

"Thank you for staying for the wedding," Jale said, dusting off her dress.

"Anything for my favorite Grey Warden, though the amazing room service is a step up as well."

She laughed, leading the way out of the main hall and towards the study. "Though, I could do without the rumors circulating about us."

"You may want to speak to Alistair about that before they reach him. Being as unknowing of relationships as he is, I'm not sure if he'd brush it off because he trusts you more than most would or if he'd be more naïve as to believe them."

"I already have. He says that he knows I wouldn't do such a thing. Plus, he welcomes you sticking around me, especially when he can't. I think he thinks I need protection or something."

"You? Couldn't be."

"I find it sweet that he worries even though I am perfectly capable of handling myself. Though, I admit, an assassin body guard does sound useful."

"I would need to complete my… situation with the crows first, but I do not think I would mind the job. I have a feeling your story has more interesting paths to follow."

Alistair was sitting in the study, a journal open on the desk in front of him and a quill in his hand. Jale snuck over, hoping he didn't know they were there. She went to peak over his shoulder, wondering what he was writing.

No such luck. Alistair slapped the journal closed and turned to smirk at her. She just put on a fake innocent smile and pecked him on the lips.

And snatched the journal up from the desk. Jale tried to turn and run, but Alistair's arm was around her waist and tugging her down into his lap before she could get away. He plucked it from her hands and rest it back on the desk, "Not yet, my dear."

Zevran chuckled, "Oo, secrets, sadly I cannot spend much more time over here. I have to go through certain files any regular rogue assassin cannot get ahold of."

"What kind of files?" Alistair asked, remembering one of the servants claiming that the information vaults had been oddly different, but nothing was missing.

"I relocked it when I left, do not worry. I just needed to see if any deals with the crows had been made before this whole… ordeal."

Jale reached a finger up to scratch the tip of her nose, Alistair's signal that she was hiding something. "What about you? What information did you need that you wanted to keep hidden so bad that you couldn't just walk into the vault miss soon-to-be queen?"

"Curiosity gets the better of me?" she offered, but Alistair just shook his head, giving her a look that they would discuss this later.

* * *

The royal bedroom was large, but the bed was Jale's favorite part.

Though, that was beyond the point right now. Now, she was pacing around the room while Alistair awaited an explanation.

"I just… I had this feeling that there's something hidden from us. From everyone. Something that one person didn't want anyone else to know, not even the illiterate who wouldn't understand it."

"So you asked Zevran to, while he was looking through papers for things on the Crows, to search for something suspicious? You had to have had more for him to look for than that."

"Of course. It wouldn't just be with the other papers. It would have been hidden. I had him search every crevice for a break, a hiding place. Someplace-" she froze, staring at the wall. "Someplace like that."

Alistair moved over to see what she meant, watching his fiancé slip her fingers in a gap between stone. She hooked her fingers, pulling out the hollowed section. Inside were what looked like letters and small notes, things that would have been used as simple hidden correspondence.

Jale stood with the whole stack, going over to the chair in the corner of the room and lighting the candle on the table next to it. Alistair just watched her, not very sure what was going on.

She finished the first letter and looked up, "Very interesting…"

"What?" he asked, "Who wrote it?"

"Maric."

"Why didn't he ever send it?"

"It looks like he did but got it back eventually."

"Who's it to?"

"Some woman. Fiona."

* * *

**Good? Eh? Just a one-shot to test the waters of this fandom and kind of introduce my OC. I'm pretty sure, if you guys are anything like what I read on the forums, that you're more open to controversy than those in the MR fandom. **

**Please review, tell me what you think. I'd really appreciate it. This is my first fanfic for this fandom I will be posting. **

**I have two long fanfics I'm working on for it. One is AU and the other is with two wardens instead of one so neither exactly correlates with this, though the latter is only different in the aspect of who gave the killing blow and who did the ritual with Morrigan.**

**I've played Origins and have halfway finished Awakening. I've seen various let's plays for the DLCs Witch Hunt and Leliana's song. I've also looked up a lot of things on forums such as the whole 'Maric's relationships' thing in the books. If you'd like to inform me of things I may need to know concerning Thedas I may not know yet or back story, that'd be great.**

**Please review and I hope you enjoyed.**


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